1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to home automation networks, controllable residential devices, and keypads and more specifically to systems where control points communicate with portable electronic devices, such as smart phones, using near field communication (NFC) standards.
2. Background Art
The ever-expanding reach of smart portable devices has extended to building automation. Smart phones and tablets are increasingly providing convenient and varied control options for residential and commercial buildings. Where there was once a myriad of remote controls or no remote control at all, there is now a single smart phone running an “app”, such as a control application.
A couple such control applications are Crestron Mobile Pro® or Crestron Mobile® available from Crestron Electronics, Inc. of Rockleigh, N.J. With a control application, such as Crestron Mobile Pro®, a user may access a home automation network thereby allowing for control of the various devices and control elements incorporated in the home automation network from a smart mobile device. For example, a user may now load a control application on his smart phone to turn off a bedroom light from a remote location such as another room in the home or in his office.
While the introduction of smart portable devices to home automation has had a noticeable positive impact, existing systems do not fully leverage the capabilities of current generation smart phones and tablets. One such capability is near field communication (NFC).
NFC is a set of standards for short-range wireless communication technology that employs magnetic field induction to enable communication between electronic devices in close proximity. The technology allows an NFC-enabled device to communicate with another NFC-enabled device or to retrieve information from an NFC tag. This enables users to perform intuitive, safe, contactless transactions, access digital content and connect electronic devices simply by touching or bringing devices into close proximity.
NFC operates in the standard unlicensed 13.56 MHz frequency band over a range of around 2-4 cm and offers data rates in the range of at least 106 kbits/s to 424 kbit/s. NFC standards cover communication protocols and data exchange formats and are based on existing radio frequency identification (RFID) standards. The standards include ISO/IEC 18092 and those defined by the NFC Forum, a non-profit industry organization which promotes NFC and certifies device compliance.
There are two modes of operation covered by the NFC standards: (i) active mode and (ii) passive mode. In active mode, both communicating devices are capable of transmitting data. Each device alternately generates and deactivates their own electromagnetic field to transmit and receive data.
In passive mode, only one device, the “initiator” device, generates an electromagnetic field, while other “target” device, typically an NFC tag, modulates the electromagnetic field to transfer data. The NFC protocol specifies that the initiating device is responsible for generating the electromagnetic field. In this passive mode, the target device may draw its operating power from the initiator-provided electromagnetic field.
There is now a need to fully leverage the near field communication (NFC) capabilities of smart portable devices, such as smart phones and tablets, to provide more robust control systems.